Hexham: An Ideal Base To Explore Hadrian's Wall

Author:ady
14.02.2009

The market town of Hexham is situated in Northumberland, England and is located to the south of the River Tyne. If you are looking for somewhere to stay close to Hadrian’s Wall or the Northumberland National Park then Hexham is ideal. There are plenty of superb hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts in Hexham for you to choose from.

However along of course with spending time exploring Hadrian’s Wall there are plenty of other attractions close to Hexham to be enjoyed. Below we take a look at a few of the places you may find of interesting whether on your own or with your family.

1.     Corbridge Roman Site was used by the Roman’s as their main supply depot for Hadrian’s Wall when their armies were building and guarding it almost 2,000 years ago.  Much of this Roman settlement has now been excavated and you can see some of the finest examples of Roman military granaries in England today. There is also a museum where you can see many of the artifacts that have been discovered on the site during the  excavations. These include the famous Lion of Corbridge, a stone fountainhead.

2.    Housesteads Roman Fort and Museum is also popular with tourists. It is the best preserved of all the Roman forts that were built along Hadrian’s Wall during the Roman occupation of the area. But it is not just the fort that attracts visitors to the site it is chance for them to see what a Roman hospital looked like as well.

3.    Allen Banks & Staward Grange is ideal place to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern living. There are many marked walks both through ornamental and ancient woods to enjoy. The remains of a medieval Pele tower can be found at Staward Wood. Whilst at Allen Banks there is a Victorian Summerhouse that has been reconstructed for you to enjoy. The woodland you walk through is cut in the middle by a river gorge and there are many plants and animals for you to try and spot and identify as you walk along.

4.    Alnwick Castle England’s second largest castle that are still inhabited. Since 1309 this has been the home of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland (the Percy’s). There is also evidence to show that a castle has stood on this site since around 1096. The 1st Lord Percy of Alnwick began restoration on the castle back in the early fourteenth Century. 

These are just a few of the attractions that you can visit when you stay in Hexham. But the one that is probably most likely to draw the tourists is of course Hadrian’s Wall. Much of  the wall still remains and there are plenty of sites along the track it took in order to protect the Romans from the Scottish tribes. This ancient monument was classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and since that time has been maintained by English Heritage.

Choose your next hotel in Hexham here.

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